Al-Bawasil camp activities offer fun, support for diabetic children

Under the slogan "Yes, We Can", the 24th International Al Bawasil Camp for Children with Diabetes, organised by the Qatar Diabetes Association (QDA), continued its activities with the involvement of 66 diabetic children.According to an official statement, the camp is attended by 14 medical staff accompanying children from participating countries. These are in addition to 62 QDA employees and volunteers who care for children around the clock at the camp's headquarters at the Aspire Sports Excellence Academy.The children are divided into four teams, the Shafallah team, the Awsaj team, the Aqoul team, and the Sidra team, with each team led by two skilled leaders and under the supervision of the camp's medical committee.The camp hosts the Vice-President of the International Diabetes Federation, Dr Adel al-Sayed and Dr Sahinaz Karadins, Board Member of the Turkish Diabetes Foundation and former President of the Europe Region of the International Diabetes Federation.This year, in addition to the countries of the Middle East, the camp also hosted India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Turkiye.Children live in an atmosphere of joy and excitement at the camp. The programme combines entertainment and education with many interactive workshops, including those related to nutrition, insulin injection, as well as handicraft and a broad range of recreational games and overseas trips. There are storytelling workshops every day along with a variety of entertainment games such as the water challenge and the selfie challenge, the daily Samer party, the "In Motion Pool" groups and the Baby Foot Tennis Championship because of the importance of sport in diabetes management.The outbound trips also resonated with children as they took trips to many places in Qatar, including the "Henna Salma Farm", which they visited on Tuesday and stayed until evening. There was also a trip to the Oli Oli Museum in Katara and another trip to Expo 2023 Doha Wednesday.The camp is full of distinctive activities, including various challenges, a mask-making workshop, a masquerade ceremony, and a trip to the market dedicated to foreign delegations.The camp began its activities on December 22 with 13 delegations from 12 countries between the ages of 7 and 11. The camp will continue until Friday.Dr Abdullah al-Hamaq, executive director of QDA, said the organisers strive to make the children living with diabetes happy. "We are happy and confident that they receive the necessary support and care through the camp's medical protocol and all the educational and recreational activities," he said.Al Bawasil Camp is managed by a qualified team consisting of physicians, nurses and dietitians along with administrative teams consisting of several professional committees including medicine, nutrition, activities and programmes, media, marketing, organisation and internal communication.The first camp organised by QDA was held in January 1999 and has been held every year since then. It has become one of the most important camps for children with diabetes in the Mena region. In 2013, the International Diabetes Federation designated it as an international camp that could host children with diabetes from all over the world.